[Goldwingnut]

Originally Posted by Rainger99

I am trying to figure out how many fire services we have in the county.

If there is a fire in the Villages but you live outside of Wildwood, who provides fire services?

If there is a fire in the Villages and you live in Wildwood, who provides fire services?

If you live in Wildwood but not in the Villages, who provides fire services?

If you live in Bushnell, who provides fire services?

2 fire service - Village Public Safety Department (VPSD) and Sumter County Fire and EMS (SCFEMS)
1 - VPSD
2 - VPSD
3 - SCFEMS
4 - SCFEMS

on your scenario #3, there are a few small outlying areas adjacent to The Villages that are not a part of The Villages that are also serviced by VPSD, but these are the exceptions and not very common.

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by Rainger99

I am trying to figure out how many fire services we have in the county.

If there is a fire in the Villages but you live outside of Wildwood, who provides fire services?

If there is a fire in the Villages and you live in Wildwood, who provides fire services?

If you live in Wildwood but not in the Villages, who provides fire services?

If you live in Bushnell, who provides fire services?

There are two services in Sumter County. One is Sumter County Fire and EMS (SCFEMS) and the other is the Villages Public Safety Department (VPSD).

The simplest way of thinking about it: If you are within the outline of the Villages then VPSD will be called. If you are outside the outline of the Villages then SCFEMS will be called.

There is a map on page 17 of this VPSD presentation (looks to be from 2021 or so) that shows the service area of the VPSD. Anything outside that area but within Sumter County is handled by SCFEMS.

[brianherlihy]

well all new beds for all and better food

[JGibson]

Having 2 fire departments is a convoluted mess.

And to quote “We painted ourselves into a corner” sums it up

[Normal]

Originally Posted by JGibson

Having 2 fire departments is a convoluted mess.

And to quote “We painted ourselves into a corner” sums it up

Agreed. One has to ask if it is “The Villages” as a separate entity or city, or are we associated more with the link like Leesburg or Wildwood? The conflation is confusing. I know we just got our warning shot tax letter (for fanning the flames at the Everglades meeting), and the statement demonstrated that Wildwood got a good chunk of local tax change. Both municipalities get their cut of the pie and collect enforcement fines etc. What should their roles be if they are getting taxpayer income? The locus of services and control seems macro when getting funds, yet micro when convenient.

Eventually we should equilibrate as an Ocala Marion County setup like Lady Lake and The Villages in Sumter?

[Jack58033]

Didn't this political organization win a forty million suit for our neighbors in the historical side? Maybe its an organization that we should consider joining.

[Rainger99]

Originally Posted by Normal

Eventually we should equilibrate as an Ocala Marion County setup like Lady Lake and The Villages in Sumter?

How are they set up??

[Pairadocs]

Originally Posted by margaretmattson

Have not seen or heard anything regarding. What is the new amount they are seeking?

WOW, watch your mail for your notice. Already go ours.... talk about inflation ! How many more things, taxes, fuel, electricity, food, water, can go up at this rate ? Really has us worried in a serious way.

[Normal]

I wonder what our Municipality taxes go towards? Wildwood charges St. Catherine, Hawkins, Cason Hammock and Citrus Grove residents 2.287. If it isn’t used for fire, what is the continuing tax used for? On top of that there is a county MSBU tax. Do the services just overlap and you get what you get?

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by Normal

I wonder what our Municipality taxes go towards? Wildwood charges St. Catherine, Hawkins, Cason Hammock and Citrus Grove residents 2.287. If it isn’t used for fire, what is the continuing tax used for? On top of that there is a county MSBU tax. Do the services just overlap and you get what you get?

Notice how they complicate everything as much as they can to make it hard for us taxpayers to totally understand where our money goes.

[Rainger99]

Originally Posted by Normal

On top of that there is a county MSBU tax. Do the services just overlap and you get what you get?

https://www.sumtercountyfl.gov/Agend...4?fileID=41435

[Goldwingnut]

Originally Posted by Stu from NYC

Notice how they complicate everything as much as they can to make it hard for us taxpayers to totally understand where our money goes.

Thank the state and federal governments for that, they make all the accounting rules that complicate the process.

[Happydaz]

What I find hard to understand is why the study done by an outside organization wasn’t explained better. This study our commissioners had done and paid for had homeowners paying a little over $320 per residence and businesses paying per square foot. I looked up other counties and that is what they do. Examples are Lake and Orange Counties. Even Fort Lauderdale does this. As areas become more populated and metropolitan they need to raise larger amounts for fire fees.

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by Happydaz

What I find hard to understand is why the study done by an outside organization wasn’t explained better. This study our commissioners had done and paid for had homeowners paying a little over $320 per residence and businesses paying per square foot. I looked up other counties and that is what they do. Examples are Lake and Orange Counties. Even Fort Lauderdale does this. As areas become more populated and metropolitan they need to raise larger amounts for fire fees.

What wasn't explained well in the study?

[Happydaz]

Originally Posted by Bill14564

What wasn't explained well in the study?

What wasn’t explained well “about” the study was that most metropolitan counties and towns assess a fire fee for businesses that is based on square footage and type of business. In other words it is the normal way to do it. Just look at Lake County. They assess homeowners a little over $300 per residence. For businesses you can see the chart they have for square foot assessments. Some very large businesses in Lake County pay over $30,000. Lake county looks just like the study Sumter County paid for. You can look up other metropolitan counties and see similar charts.